Space station tutorial

[michaelvf]

Hi, I've been searching a bit for a comprehensive guide on building a space station in career mode, but I'm mostly just finding experts who seem to be speaking a language I don't understand (Kerballian technobabble)... So can anyone link to a good guide which describes what tech level is best required first, good design patterns, how to setup refuelling (both of station and spaceships), which orbit, how to segment it and so on...

[Warzouz]

In 0.9, I had a 400T space station around Laythe with lot of fuel. It was assembled around Laythe with 13 disctinct flight from Kerbin.

Payloads

- Space station core

- Return vehicle

- 6 Orange tanks

- 1 RCS tank + station Tug

- 2 light SSTO landers (Bop + POL)

- 1 Laythe SSTO lander + 1 Val SSTO lander

- 1 SSTO Tylo lander + Tug

- 1 staged Tylo lander + Tug

I managed to get on each moon twice + an additionnal flyby of each one for science. I only used 3 orange tanks and 1/3 of the RCS reserves. (PS : SSTO aren't planes and weight around 15T)

Some tricks

- BEWARE of part count. You can get a 200 parts into orbit without lag. but when you assemble them, you get a 400 part station than can lag. Mine had 900... I had to do some fixing by removing parts with KAS mod...

- I recommend you create a station core you can extend. With the new Aero, you can't send to orbit very large structure anymore.

- You need docking ports. prefer to have only one type so you can change where you put stuff. Don't cramp docking ports too close.

- For the ship docking area, don't forget to light it so you can see easily where to go. Even day time isn't so bright...

- Having a small tug to move stuff around isn't a bad idea. Prefer to have multiple docking rings on you parts (at least 2)

If you're going to put a station far away, test it around Kerbin first. Some test can even been done on launch pad (by preassemble them to see if parts fits).

Here i (was) my space station (click to enlarge)

Edited May 4, 2015 by Warzouz

[Mastikator]

I might be wrong but the stock Drill-o-matic (Advanced science tech) can mine ore from asteroids, which can be converted into fuel.

So basically find a suitable asteroid, lock onto it with your Clam-o-Tron (Actuators), haul the asteroid into orbit around kerbin, drill -> hydrolysis -> lots of fuel being produced in space. Not infinite supply though, so when it's depleted you'll need to get a new one.

[michaelvf]

Asteriod farming is step 2.... step 1 is figuring out how to build a nice space station without littering space with junk and spent engines...

[Warzouz]

Yes you're right. This is a very good plot. But mining stuff is quite end-game, sadly. As you can create some fuel, it's efficient to orbit empty payload and refill. If you can't, I'm not sure this is so usefull because you still have to launch the fuel.

Now that I think, I've some more insight

- Always deactivate the engines of ships docked at the station. It's even better to shutdown them during the final docking approach (when you only use RCS). If you activate them by mistake you can break parts or change you fine tweacked orbit.

- Don't forget it's quite hard to move a space station when assembled. My old station core didn't had any engines nor RCS.

- If you build a station to go form below to higher orbit, it's best to put it as low as possible. If you build a station to go from higher orbit to higer orbit, it doesn't matter, higher orbit seems intuitive but you loose oberth effect (acceleration on high speed orbit is more efficient).

- To go to a station, you have 2 separate phases : the rendez-vous and the docking. Rendez-vous is quite hard and technical. I fail to do the final close approach. Don't hesitate to use MechJeb. The final docking is easier an quite fun : you gently use RCS to close to the docking port. Some mods can help.

[michaelvf]

Yeah I actually did the tutorial on docking - took me at least 2-3 hours to get through it and succeed in the docking . From now on I use mechJeb for that.

I think I will try to see if I can build some sort of center consisting of just a center module and docking ports and get that up first - Then go for some some exentions and THEN some large fuel tanks (Which is what I need). I guess fuel doesnt "flow" through the entire station but that I have to dock somewhere close to the fuel to refuel?

[Warzouz]

Yes you can fill a tank with another tank anywhere in the station, even through decouplers. You don't have to dock near the fuel tank.

Advice put you tank on one side of the station and you ship docking ring on the other side. It's better to identify where to go. Beware or solar panels they don't respond well to accidents.

Finally, if you can't move your station, you can turn/rotate it (slowly, though). Place it in a "logic" position. I oriented my station top-down so I did know that the docking ship section was on the bottom and the fuel had to go in the middle.

[michaelvf]

Thanks for the advice again - Looking forward to launching big unwieldy constructions into orbit...

[THX1138]

Consider setting your lights to different hues to help keep track of which port it is you're targeting.

[Warzouz]

But don't add to much lights, it causing lag problems. Keep the station simple and minimal, but that's not always easy.

To reduce part number, you should avoir to do what I did : make most of the parts self propelled. It's better to let the orbiting stage to the approach of the station, then cut loos the payload and deorbit/terminate. The part left à 100m of the station is a debris. Then get you station tug, dock to the debris/payload and dock it to the station. You part count should be lower. You may not be able to remove RCS package though or you'll have a hard time docking your debris/payload to the station.

Stations are fun and nice, even if they aren't that usefull.

But sometimes it can have some unexpected usage. After returning from my Jool mission, I wanted to use on of my landers to go to the Mun. I designed a quick and dirty orbit stage able to launch an unfuelled Vall lander to the space station to refuel and go to the Mun. I did that, went to the Mun and when I came back I noticed I had no chute on the lander (it was designed to go for Laythe space station to Vall). No sweat, I docked the lander to the station and used the return pod of the station to get back on the ground with Jeb and science.

[plotz]

I usually try to assemble my first station during a "build a new manned station in orbit around Kerbin" and in 1.0.2 "rendezvous..." or "dock two vessels in orbit around Kerbin" missions.

Required tech:

- RCS (not required for station core, but to attach future expansions)

- Docking ports (resource transfer)

- Electricity (solar panels to keep the station going)

- The OCTO drone core is imho a good asset (gives you SAS to prevent rotation of the station)

That's the bare minimum for a working station.

Hints:

- I like to start out with a small core (can be around 3-4t) that has at least 3 docking ports for expansion but as few parts as possible.

- To reduce junk, separate your circularizing stage after the burn. If you include a probe core with that, you can crash it to Kerbin, adding chutes also allows for recovery and reusability. This prevents unnecessary debris (de-orbit) and reduces part count (separation of final stage). Later launches can be equipped with a single drone core BELOW the payload. So you only have to maintain a single one at the station (again: fewer parts).

- Fuel supply can be ensured by bringing up e.g. a big orange tank later and refuelling it with Spaceplanes or couriers that are only docked temporarily.

- More advanced designs may feature a few return capsules (one-off use) and a single transfer vehicle for Munar/Minmus missions (reusable). As this doesn't require any chutes, heat shields,... it can be much lighter.

Core checklist:

Must:

- Batteries

- Solar Panels (I use at least 4 of them, slightly angled in every direction to prevent blackouts). Alternately use a single solar sail

- Docking ports

- Antenna (for missions; nice 2 have if you want to EVA kerbals and do reports "in space just above [biome]"

- Drone core

Nice to have:

- Habitation or a lab for kerbals

- RCS tanks (depending on the station's initial purpose)

- Fuel tanks (depending on the station's initial purpose)

- Return capsules

- Lighting to illuminate the station and especially it's docking ports --> easier docking

If you want me to, I can post one or two very easy and basic designs that are also quite lightweight, thus easy to get into orbit.

[SpeedDaemon]

Regarding altitude - keep time acceleration in mind. I like 130km, because 120km is the cutoff for 100x, which makes rendezvous faster (and for a useful station, you'll be doing that a LOT). It also gives you some room between the orbit and atmosphere so that you can lower your PE to catch up if you end up a little behind it.

I would also recommend the Quantum Struts Continued or KAS (once it's updated for the current version) mods, which both allow strutting modules in place after docking them to reduce wet-noodlyness.

KIS (Kerbal Inventory System) is also a good complement to a station, since it allows EVA Kerbals to add and remove parts (forget to add a solar panel or docking port? Just hand Bill a screwdriver and put him to work). It also allows you to keep an inventory of misc small parts like solar panels, science experiments, batteries, and stuff that allow you to fix minor oversights on other craft you launch.

Modular Fuel Tanks will let you add monoprop and xenon to LFO tanks, reducing part count.

Other misc tips:

- When launching large fuel tank modules, add fuel lines to burn the fuel in they payload tank during launch instead of trying to get a full large tank to orbit. You can always top it off later.

- Overbuilding the orbital insertion stages of craft that are going to be docking to the station anyway, then transferring extra fuel to the station can be a good way to top off fuel depots without a bunch of boring "milk runs."

- Always have lights to illuminate your docking ports, because the Law of Inconvenient Rendezvous Timing states that "You will always be docking in the dark."

[Rokmonkey]

As far as oribtal assembly goes, I changed from the "oribtal tug" method, and instead I build my orbital stage, and then optimize RCS layout using the payload and orbiter together. The orbiter is usually a small fuel tank, probe, couple batteries, rcs and an engine. After docking to the station, the orbiter detaches and de-orbits itself.

I've found that the orbital tug method is a pain to balance the RCS. I suppose a way to get around this is to balance the RCS on the payload with the TUG attached in the VAB. Yay for sub-assemblies.

[SpeedDaemon]

As far as oribtal assembly goes, I changed from the "oribtal tug" method, and instead I build my orbital stage, and then optimize RCS layout using the payload and orbiter together. The orbiter is usually a small fuel tank, probe, couple batteries, rcs and an engine. After docking to the station, the orbiter detaches and de-orbits itself.

I've found that the orbital tug method is a pain to balance the RCS. I suppose a way to get around this is to balance the RCS on the payload with the TUG attached in the VAB. Yay for sub-assemblies.

Well, you could also build the tug in a Y or U shape that can accommodate standard-size station modules between the arms. Then you can put RCS down on the end on the other side of the combined CoM. It also means the station bits might be able to do without RCS parts entirely (reduced part count!).

Lots of reaction wheels and MechJeb's PAR+/- attitude hold can work, too.